Notes

Pre-release, the track “Breaking into Heaven” was described as a “slice of sloth-like majesty”.

The track Rock ‘n’ Roll Angel was known as Rock ‘n’ Roll Jesus before the album was released.

The songs were written during late spring, early Summer 2008. None were recorded until after the 2008 Metal Masters tour was over.

The album was recorded in the same studio that 1992’s Dehumanizer was also recorded in.

The artwork was based off an image called “Satan”, by an artist from Norway named Per Oyvind Haagensen. Link here.

The first single for the album is “Bible Black”. There was an animated music video for this produced.

The Bible Black video was produced for the band, they didn’t have input into it.

On the cover art are the numbers 25 & 41. This is a reference to the Bible passage Matthew 25:41, which says “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”

There is an “alternate” version of the cover art that was only be for sale through Wal-Mart. You can see that version in the images section below.

Press Release

HEAVEN & HELL INTRODUCES THE DEVIL YOU KNOW

Highly Anticipated New Album from Dio, Iommi, Butler, and Appice,
Their First in 17 Years, Features Epic First Single “Bible Black”

Available from Rhino April 28

LOS ANGELES — After finishing several heralded world tours as Heaven & Hell last summer, Ronnie James Dio, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Vinny Appice were tighter than ever before, both musically and personally. Agreeing that it would be a shame to stop making music together at tour’s end, the quartet began writing, first in England at Iommi’s home studio and later in Los Angeles at Dio’s studio. “The band had gotten too good to just walk away,” Dio says. “We wanted to show people that we were still capable of giving them new music that measured up to what we’d done in the past.”

With that goal in mind, the band once again converged on Rockfield Studios in Wales last winter, the same place they used 17 years earlier to record their last album, Dehumanizer. The result is the long awaited new album THE DEVIL YOU KNOW, featuring 10 soon-to-be-classic tracks from the Dio-fronted version of Black Sabbath. The highly anticipated set arrives on April 28 from Rhino for a suggested list price of $18.98 (physical) and $9.99 (digital).

It took less than three weeks to finish the album, with most of the songs only needing a couple of takes. “It was good to play them live in the studio. It keeps you on edge,” Iommi says. “I mean, somewhere along the line we were gonna have to play them live; might as well start in the studio.” Butler adds: “We’ve learned from the past that you can kill a song doing it over and over. The first Sabbath albums were done in two or three days. Technically they weren’t great, but vibe-wise they were great. If you capture that feeling, that’s all you need.”

“Bible Black,” the epic first single, begins with Iommi on acoustic guitar behind Dio’s plaintive wail before the rhythm shifts to a menacing stomp for the rest of this dark tale about a book of sinister scriptures. One of the first songs written for the album, Dio says it established a tone for the rest of the album. “When you start off with a blockbuster like that, it makes the rest of the album so much easier because it gives you a benchmark to measure the other songs against.”

Iommi proves he hasn’t lost the ability to inspire six-string envy, unleashing riffs like a pack of rabid hellhounds on “Atom And Evil,” “Fear,” “Neverwhere,” and “Eating The Cannibals,” a tune about doing more than biting the hand that feeds. Butler and Appice slow the pace while ramping up the intensity on “Follow The Tears” and “Double The Pain” and “Breaking Into Heaven,” the latter diverging from its glacial procession for Dio’s majestic chorus about fallen angels planning an attack on paradise.

Press Release 2

Heaven & Hell is ramping up for the April 28 release of THE DEVIL YOU KNOW with a vast array of physical and digital retail exclusive versions, listed below. The album will also be released as double vinyl LP featuring a laser etched design and exclusive poster on May 12.

Best Buy will offer an exclusive version featuring a DVD with unreleased video of the band recording the album including studio performances, interviews, and other behind-the-scenes content.

Wal Mart will offer an exclusive alternate cover that prominently features the traditional Black Sabbath devil logo. When finalizing the cover, the band narrowed it down to their two favorites but had a difficult time making a final decision. Now the alternate cover will also be available as a Wal Mart exclusive.

iTunes will offer an exclusive version with previously unreleased live recordings of “Die Young” and “I” from the band’s 2007 European tour.

Select independent retail stores will offer exclusive Heaven & Hell T-shirts and/or copies of the album signed by the entire band, while supplies last. See below for a list of all participating stores and contact them directly for more details.

Links

Images

As a goof, I had a friend of mine who’s good with pixels, uh “fix” the cover art after it was announced. Here’s my “fixed” version. See if you can see what’s different. :)

This is the WalMart Exclusive cover art.

These two images are the cover art for the “Bible Black” CD single as well as the “Follow the Tears” CD single. Neither was made commercially available, they were just radio station promos.

This is the German Cover Art – Note different placement of the band name bar. NOTE: I got this remark from a fan about the German Artwork. I’m confused now. “The german TDYK cover artwork on your site fortunately is not the true artwork. It´s a mere sheet of loose paper that is put in front of the real cover, which happens to be identical to the US version. The green logo of the german “FSK”, an organisation that gives some kind of “personal advisory” on all types of media, is printed right on to that sheet. Thats the reason why some angry Amazon customers sent the disk right back without unpacking because they thought FSK ruined the cover artwork. But fortunately that is not true.”

Japanese Version – There are four additional pictures of the Japanese version. You can view them online in the photo gallery set up for those pictures. Additionally, as with most Japanese albums, there’s a story (called an “obi”). Here is a translation of the story in the Japanese version of “The Devil You Know”. Big thanks to Rom Ehart for the English translation. First is Rom’s intro to the translation:Rom Ehart: The package came with the usual “obi” exclusive to Japanese albums, with a small text describing how the band came back in 2007 and finally released their new album, “the miracle that gave birth to a miracle” it says. There’s also the big “Heaven & Hell” sticker you can see in the pictures. In the sleeve notes there’s an extra booklet written in Japanese with the lyrics translated and a text by Ito Masanori, a.k.a. Masa Ito, one of the most influential rock journalists and DJs in Japan. I tried to translate it, so let’s see if my Japanese is still working good:”Heaven & Hell, the band that came to Japan for the Loud Park ’07 festival, finally completed their new album. It’s been 17 years, since ‘Dehumanizer’, that the line-up, composed by Ronnie James Dio, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Vinny Appice released a studio album. The reunion of these 4 brave warriors was triggered when the american Rhino Records, while planning a compilation of the Dio years with the band, asked them about outtakes or demos that were left out before. While discussing what songs to put in the album in 2006, plans came up to record new songs, and in that same summer, as Ronnie visited Tony in his house in England, they started writing new material. The 3 songs that were then written ended up in Black Sabbath’s ‘The Dio Years’, released in 2007. Along with the compilation a 6-week tour was decided. In that time, Tony announced that this was a temporary project. We can think that he thought it was just to promote ‘The Dio Years’. But fortunately Tony’s will was betrayed. The tickets for their concert in the New York Radio City Music Hall, the first day of what became the american tour, in March 30th 2007, went sold out instantly, and the tickets for other gigs were also an instant success. They were quick to seixe the opportunity. With all this popularity they were receiving offers from all around the world to promote the album, and Heaven & Hell ended up headlining festivals in Europe that same year. Of course a studio album was expected to come in the line of all their success.It seems that Ronnie got really excited with the chemistry that happened while writing the 3 new songs for ‘The Dio Years’. When the 4 started jamming, Vinny started believing even more in it saying that it would be amazing. We can say that when the guys got back together, this new album was fated to be born. When in Japan in 2007, Tony repeatedly declared he was careful about anouncing a new album, but on the other hand Ronnie and Geezer were really positive about it while talking to the staff. There is no artist that wouldn’t be moved when being welcomed the way they were, with far more excitement than they could imagine. And of course the promoters where also pushing them from behind, that’s for sure. As it became clear with the release of the New York March 30th concert in the CD/DVD ‘ Live from Radio City Music Hall’, the performance as Heaven & Hell had way more flavor than the time they called themselves Black Sabbath, with bits of master jamming in a really dense and strong play. The guys themselves certainly could feel the progress of the band, as they were shaking off the dust and feeling the greatness of that line-up. It was a transparent and honest performance. Then finally we get our hands on a new album.It seems that the song writing process began with Ronnie and Tony in the latter’s home studio. Then Tony flew to L.A., where the other 3 live, recorded a demo in Ronnie’s studio and with Mike Exeter started arranging the songs starting in april 2008 for a couple of months. In that same year’s winter, they entered the ‘Rockfield Studios’ in Wales, where they recorded ‘Dehumanizer’ previously, and finally began recording. The production was done by Tony and Ronnie, who composed the songs, along with Geezer. There is no one else more apropriate than these 3 guys that knows better what they want to make. Mixing was done by Wyn Davis, who was involved with 80’s bands such as from Dokken to Great White, and Dio’s ‘Angry Machines’. He was also responsible for mixing the ‘Live From Radio City Music Hall’ album.The title ‘The Devil You Know’ was decided by Geezer, who got the idea from the saying ‘Better The Devil You Know’. To rename the formerly band known as ‘Earth’ to ‘Black Sabbath’ was one of Geezer’s ideas. He is truly a creative mind, full of ideas, one after another.After the release of ‘The Dio Years’ in May 2007 by Rhino Records the 5000 copies limited edition of the live concert recorded in London’s Hammersmith Odeon in December 31st 1981 was released. Even though it was a performance right after the release of their second album with Ronnie, ‘The Mob Rules’, and at the beginning of their tour in England it was really thrilling. With the experimental ‘Dehumanizer’ dividing opinions among fans, of course the Black Sabbath of Ronnie’s years was the one with the sensational debut album ‘Heaven and Hell’ and ‘The Mob Rules’. Although having his own style forged by the previous experiences with Elf and Rainbow, the magic born when combining Ronnie with the tradition of Black Sabbath is enormous on this two albums. The experimentalism felt in ‘Dehumanizer’ can be traced back to Black Sabbath’s ‘Technical Ecstasy’, as in both albums there is an amazing similarity in the use of high-class keyboard players picked up by Tony. Apart from the fan response, a band with such history, taking a chance to put out its evolution and experience, is something that can be undoubtedly felt in this ‘The Devil You Know’ album.As can be noted while listening to the album, the way Tony puts out a riff, the tone of it, this is Black Sabbath. It has gone above a hability, it is a national treasure, which tells that without Tony there is no Black Sabbath. The album ‘Seventh Star’, which was intended to be a solo work and because of the recording company pressure became a ‘Black Sabbath featuring Tony Iommi’ album, even in that album only by the sound of his guitar the Black Sabbath sound would take space. Now, with Heaven & Hell, this uniqueness is added to Ronnie’s vocal, taking us to the early 80’s and calling for the ebullience seen during the Live Loud ’07 festival. When the rythmical session starts to roar, given by Geezer’s spasmatical groove constantly attacking, the profound and deep sound sculpted by Vinny, the foundations of the dense world of Heaven & Hell are born.Carrying on the tradition of Black Sabbath, keepers of the dark side, the music of these guys describes vividly the darkness that evolves our world today, with the time-travelling riffs played by Tony and Ronnie’s despair-breaking voice, bringing up to our eyes this reality as if throwing us at it. From ‘Atom & Evil’, which takes the Garden of Eden as scenery, sings about the foolishness of those that want to take control of the energy and the atomic menace, to ‘Breaking Into Heaven’, a song about an angel who expelled from heavens becomes the devil and tries to take heavens under his hand. The lyrics are set like traps with metaphors, like isolation coming from the negative energies of society, it describes the lives of those who live amid a sick darkness. In ‘Eating The Cannibals’, that describes how the government consumes the people, and the psychological and internal aspects of people as sang in ‘Bible Black’, ‘Double The Pain’, ‘The Turn Of The Screw’ and others, where metaphors throw a dim light on these matters.

Even though the time dedicated to the demos was long, finishing recording an album in 3 weeks only is unthinkable when you listen to the result. Their trademarks are noticeable everywhere and they succeded in keeping the band’s characteristics at the same time they produced a really contemporary album. If one thinks that the 3 new songs recorded for ‘The Dio Years’ were just part of a plan, followed by a live album, it can be said that this full-lenght Heaven & Hell album means they’re just standing on the start line. After 17 years being able to create such a fuzz from the darkside, this bottomless power is going to take the world.

“Rom Ehart: So there you go. This is the (poorly) translated text by Masa Ito from Japanese to English included in the Japanese version of the album. Hope you enjoy it.

Video

The first video is the “official” band video for the song Bible Black. It sucks. Hard. It was so bad, I went back to the guy who did a fan video for the song “Ear in the Wall” a couple of years ago, and asked him if he’d be interested in trying again. He indeed did produce a video, and it is on this page after the official video.

These lyrics were typed in myself straight out of the lyrics that appear in the CD booklet. They are accurate except for typos. If you find an error from my transcription let me know, but don’t tell me “the lyrics should be something else” – these are the official lyrics from the liner notes!

Atom & Evil

Blue skies – Once upon a dream
All highs – never in-between
Then Into the Garden came the spider

I’m here for you
Said the spider to the fly
And when I’m through
You can open up your eyes to see
Your world’s on fire
And the liar won’t let go
Atom and evil

One more promise
We can tame the sun
And then we’ll shine forever

Someday you can cry for everyone
who burned when you were clever

Expand your mind
We’ve got a place for you
Just make believe
That one and one are always two
When into the parlour
Comes the slider
Say no
Atom and evil

Falling’s easy
Rising will never be
So we must rise together

Here are the changes
Power for harmony
But then there’s no forever
Atom and evil

Maybe if we cry together
Maybe if we cry as one
The tears that fall can kill the fire
And keep everyone from
Atom and evil
Atom and evil
Atom and evil
Atom and evil

Fear

If you’ve never heard before
There was once a time
When only God had fire
The moon and stars and nothing more
To lead you through the night

If there’s a Hell and Satan had a daughter
He must have sent her here to hide the flame
We’re still afraid
Must be he taught her so well
We’ve seen some light
So why’s it all the same

Chorus:
Superstition – go away
We wear the mark
Fear

There’s a corner of the mind
With a door that always
Opens up at sundown
And what’s inside is to remind you
To hide from eyes that shine

We ran until we found we had the power
Illuminate the world and make it burn
We’re still afraid
Must be that door in your brain
You’ve seen some light
And you pray it will return

Chorus

If there’s a Hell and Satan sent his daughter
She must have gotten lost
And can’t go home
We’re still afraid
And he can’t find her again
We’ve seen some light
But it will always be the same

Chorus:
Evilution go away
We still share the mark
Fear

Bible Black

At last alone
His fire’s dying
Burned another day

Now to pretend
And make up an ending
Somewhere far away

He reached for a book all bound in leather
Something that he knows he’s never read
And the first page says beware you’ve found the answer
The next one says I wish that you were dead

Don’t go on
Put it back
You’re reading from the Bible Black

What’s this world I see
Who are you and who are me
Maybe I just stumbled in the dark

I must have been out cold
But the way the story’s told
They found me lying naked in the rain

Let me go
I’ve seen religion
But the light has left me blind
Take me back
I must have the Bible Black

Well here I go again
From the start and to the end
I wish I could remember what I’ve done

Now here’s another spell
It can take me straight to Hell
And I feel I’m getting closer to my home

Let me go I’ve found addiction
And it makes me feel alive
Take me back
I must have the Bible Black

He locks himself away and tastes the silence
Hungry for another bite of wrong
And just the words o Lord please take me with you
Took him to a place we don’t belong

Let him go
He can’t come back
He’s reading from the Bible Black

So if your fire’s dying
And what’s the use of trying
I may know another place that you can go
It’s hiding in the pages
But you may not come back
You’re reading from the Bible Black

Double the Pain

A stab in the back is worth waiting for tonight
He’s seen enough joy for today

A sudden attack
Would just start the evening right
And maybe a penance to pay

Thunder and lightning
Electric machines
These are the devils
That shout in his dreams

Chorus:
Double the pain
He’s strong he will survive
Double the pain
It will make him come alive
Double the pain

Games of the heart
Not fair and you can’t win
But torture and anger can play
You’ve never said no
To just another spin
And losing is one step away

Friendly confusion
Like nothing you’ve seen
These are the demons
That shout in his dreams

Chorus

A slap in the face
To bring him back around
It’s a touch – like cool morning rain

He’s fallen from grace
And slammed to the ground
And begs for some more of the same

Thunder and lightning
Eccentric machines
These are the devils
That shout in his dreams

Chorus

Double the pain
I’m sure I saw him smile
Double the pain
Let’s kick him for awhile
Double the pain

Rock and Roll Angel

Just close your eyes
You’re on a caravan to Superman
Sweet home infection
He can kill you with a smile

He’ll come to you
But like the wind
He’s here today then gone away
Be born again
Come taste the exhibition

Chorus:
Take a number
Come and join the line
Here’s where you will find your
Rock & Roll Angel

Perfect strangers in the dark
Waiting for their lives to start
Then behold your shining star
I wonder who you are

Perfect strangers in the dark
Waiting for their lives to start
But just before the dream begins
You must confess your sins

Soon to see the holy one
Can he really block the sun
Then at last our shining star
Make me who you are

The Turn of the Screw

Another face at the window
To take me away from you
To a place that I just won’t go

It’s always hard to remember
Was it pleasure or pain
oh well I just don’t want to know

And there’s service with a smile
Don’t need to see your money
But one more thing to do
And we’re just about to do it to you
The turn of the screw

He was born to be angry
A fire that just burned cold
And you knew you should keep away

Then on a night in the city
It happened he lost control
So it’s on to his last today

They’ll dress him up in style
To walk the final mile to somewhere
And one last thing to do
Oh – maybe it could happen to you
The turn of the screw
If they lead we will follow
And they’re leading to you

We measure in time
And then we end
The mountains we climb
Are just pretend

You’ll be rich you’ll be golden
Just sign on the dotted line
No need to read the rules

And we might let you know
If there’s a way to beg or borrow
But one more thing to do
And how we love to put it to you
The turn of the screw

Here comes another
You’re empty and we’re finished with you
On to the next one
And the turn of the screw

Eating the Cannibals

I’m sure you’ve never had this meal before
We’re still open stay and have some more
It’s been raised upon your body and your soul
Total control
Plenty of seating
You know that you’re eating the cannibals

Taking till you’ve got no more to give
Building boxes where you used to live
The word out on the street is no delay
Do it today

Come to the meeting
It’s true that we’re eating the cannibals

Don’t close your eyes
We’ll come while you’re sleeping
You reached for the skies

Now we are calling
It’s all falling down

Come on in we love our clientele
You’re here to taste revenge
And so you shall
It’s been raised upon your body and your bones
But now you’re not alone
Enough with the greeting
‘Cause soon you’ll be
Eating the cannibals
Eating the cannibals

Follow the Tears

Come lie on a bed of nails and slumber
Rise up but the hands all pull you down
My sunshine is wind and rain and thunder
I sing but I can’t make a song

So if you want to know where
I’ve been
Hiding all these years
Follow the tears
Follow the tears

Don’t drink from the cup of human kindness
It’s a strange brew and poison to the touch
Don’t think that they’re saving you the finest for last
Or that you wanted too much

So if you want o know where
I’ve been
Hiding all these years
Follow the tears
Follow the tears
Follow the tears
Follow the tears

We’ll be there for you
I believed and I can tell you it’s not true
Run away before they find you again
The consequence of the conscience
Is that you’ll be left somewhere
Swinging in the air

So if you want to know why
I’ve been
Hiding all these years
You might just find the way
Before the signs all disappear
Follow the tears
Follow the tears

If you want to find me
If you really care
Follow the tears
They’re everywhere no no

Neverwhere

She made the night
But the dark’s all right
And his heart became the hunter
A deadly bride
It’s suicide
So take it slow

Waiting alone for the witching hour
Feeling the shock and the surge of power
She’s come to know

She makes her way to the door forbidden
Tomorrow she’ll say that she did not really go there
To neverwhere
Never where

And then the child
Strange free and wild
The picture of the mother

The same cold eyes
The same old lies
The same as one another

Together they wait for the witching hour
Felling the heat and the push of power
They need to know

Left behind he’s the uninvited
Maybe the door will open if he
Waits there
At neverwhere
Neverwhere

The hand that rocks the cradle in the morning
Could be lurking round the corner with a gun
Before you take the time to say I’m sorry
Remember where she’s been
And all the misery she’s done

And then the prize
Time to decide
But one last voice
Be careful

It’s just too strong
And he must belong
So down we go

Waiting for the witching hour
Needing the shock and the surge of power
He wants to know

They make their way down to the door forbidden
She waves him in at last
And he’s gone there
To neverwhere
Neverwhere
Neverwhere

Breaking into Heaven

Someone said there’s a lost horizon
We must find a way to the throne
Take his gold and the bed he lies on
No mercy from hearts made of stone

Before the fall we were only dancers
Angels gliding over the floor
Time stood still and we were sure of the answers
We waited but some wanted more

High above the world we had it all
So no one seemed to care
When evil came to call and
Soon we knew temptation and we sinned
Then he closed the door
We can’t come back again

Before today it was a dark tomorrow
Chained and cursed to wander with man
But we’ve been told
That it’s time and we must go
Does hopeless mean maybe we can

Now we’re back again we want it all
And no one seems to know
That evil’s come to call and
We will bring temptation and you’ll sin
Then we’ll slam the door
You can’t come back again

Chorus:
Breaking into heaven – changing the rules
Breaking into heaven – just a world full of fools
Breaking into heaven – get ready for war
Breaking into heaven – we only want more and more and more and more

Far beneath the world we missed the sun
Why did we believe it shines on everyone so
Now we’re here to take away your light
So you can go forever where the next day’s still tonight

Chorus

We’re ready for war
We’re just outside your door
Breaking into heaven
We’ve just found the keys
And we’re breaking into heaven

Comments

Something about these lyrics are missing something.Its either your in with devil and your there in hell but you slam the door abd you cant come back.Your breaking into heaven getting ready to wander but your not su sure if you want go back so slad the door to bible black.
So your either in heaven and hell.

The first studio album in 14 years. Well worth the wait. This is the best metal album of 2009. The songs are great. And The band is just nonstop energy. I loved this album. My Favorite would have to be Rock and Roll Angel. It’s just so epic.

Crazy thing, find out this álbum after 5 years, which I JUST DID IT!!! for me it´s about a new release!!! c´mon I´m Metal maniac since a kid (40 now) but NOT as close as before with metal zines and releases… EPIC, Ronnie, you´re just so great, RIP wherever you are MASTER!!!!! either in Heaven or in HELL!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU LORD FOR THIS BAND!!!!